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F. 1. KRISTOFEK. TELEPHONE CARD INDEX) APPLICATION FILED MAY,24| I917- PatentedSept. 16, 1919.

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FRANK J. RISTOFEK, OFST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSI GIJOR T0 IBROVVN' & BIGELOW, 01E

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ACORPGRATION OF MINNESQTA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicationfiled May 24, 1917. Serial No. 170,666.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. Knlsrornx, a citizen of the United States, "residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Telephone Card-Indexes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a telephone card index in which a series of indexed cards are retained in a convenient position and secured to a telephone transmitter. The primary object is in a device for holdin}; a series of cards conveniently for use to a' telephone transmitter so that normally the cards are inclosed in a holder and the surface, bearing the memoranda or notations on the cards, concealed.

A- further object is in providing a series of cards for telephone memorandum use, which have an indexed portion that is normally exposed and by which the cardscan be engaged to draw them individually or collectively up in the card holder to expose the memorandum surface. The cards are freely and separately held so that they can be removed separately or collectively from the holder. It is also an object to provide indexed cards having means for preventing the acc1- dental removal of the same from the holder when engaged and lifted so as to expose the memorandum surface on the cards.

A further object is in providing means for holding the index card holder frictionally against rotation on the transmitter of the telephone.

In the drawing forming part of the specification, v

Figure 1 is a perspective of a telephone with the card index attached to the transmitter of the same.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the telephone card 1ndex showing some of the cards partly lifted out of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the telephone transmitter.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the card index illustrating some of the cards being removed.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig. 4 taken on the line 5-5.

Fig. 6 is a detail of a portion of the card index.

In the drawing, A represents a card index which is adapted to be secured to the transmitter B of a telephone C by inserting the 8 which extend annularly about the} opening 2 and on either side of the rib 5, engage.

against the shoulder 9 of the mouth piece 1 when the card indexv is held to the transmitter by the mouth iece 1.

The back 4 of the thin sheet metal and when the mouth piece 1 is inserted in the opening 2 and turned so as to im inge the surfaces 8 and 6 between the shou der .9 and surface 7, it will compress the rib5 and form a spring engagement taking up any irregularities of the surface 7 and shoulder. 9, so as to hold the card index A rigidly and against rotation on the transmitter B.

The card index A is formed with a pocket 10 which is adapted to hold a series of cards 11. The pocket lO is formed with a front.

12, sides 13, and bottom, 14. The sides 13 and bottom 14-. are formed with lips 15'which are adapted to be inserted in the opening 16 formed in the back 4 and clenched over so as r to hold the pocket 10, rigidly to the back 4.

The cards 11 are adapted to be held freely slidable in the pocket 10 and have u per portions 17 which roject normally a 'ove the upper edge of t e pocket 10, when the cards are in the pocket. The projecting portion 17 of the cards 11 is adapted to receive indexed characters of any suitable nature such as the alphabet.

It is preferred to have therear card 18 of a little stifi'er or thicker nature than the rest of the cards and a portion of each card is exposed by cutting away a portion or corner of each of the cards in front of the rear card 18 to expose portions 19 on each card, thus the portion cut away from each of the cards would increase in proportion so that all of the exposed portions 19 will be equal.

The characters 20 are printed or written on the surfaces 19 and the character marked on the surface 19 corres onds to hat is written on the memoran um surface 21 of the cards 11. Each of the cards 11 has a projectingllulg 22 formed on one of its lower corners w ie is adapted to engage against older A is formed of opening of the pocket 10. The shoulder 23 has a rounded or curved outer edge 24 which is adapted to engage against the edges 25 of the cardsll when they are drawn up out of the pocket 10. The-shoulder 23 and the lugs 22 hold the'cards against transverse movement in the pocket 10. .The curved edge 24% prevents the excessive wear on the edges 25 of the cards 11 in the use of the card index. The lugs 22 prevent the accidental removal of the cards 11 when they are in use as the shoulder 23 will engage the lug 22 when the cards are lifted in the pocket 10. If it is desired to remove one of the cards 11 or several of the cards together, the cards that it is desired to remove are drawn 'upward in the pocket 10 until theshoulder 23 engages the lug 22 and the cards are then rotated on the surface '24 as an axis, as is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. This construction allows the easy removal of any or all of the cards when it is desired to write or print upon the same and also revents accidental removal of the cards while they are in use.

In use of the card index A, the mouth piece 1 is inserted in the opening 2 and screwed tight, thus hol'din the card index rigidly secured to the telep one transmitter B. The cards 11 are then removed and the desired memoranda printed or written upon the surface of the same.

In using the'telephone C, if it is desired to refer to the card index, the desired card is selected by referring to the index on the surfaces 19. The selected card is then engaged and drawn up as is indicated .in Fig. 2, so that the reference desired can be observed on the surface. 21. When the user is through with the card, he simply releases the same and it will'drop by gravity back into the pocket 10. The rear card 18 is preferably of a stiffer material than the rest of the cards and the portions cut away from the cards in front of the rear card are protected by'the rear card 18, so that they will not easily be bent or broken off in use. When the cards 11 are engaged by the projecting portion 17, if a card is selected in front of the card 18, it is engaged together with the card 18 and the cards between the selected card, and the card 18 are also ongaged so as to draw them all up together with the selected card. The back card 18 is the only card which will be drawn up separately, thus the indexed surfaces 19 are also protected and the cards will drop back easilyand quickly into the pocket 10.

By the use of the telephone card index A, a very neat and convenient form of telephone index is acquired and a memorandum or reference on the cards 11 is at all times concealed when not in use and protected against wear or from being soiled. It is obvious that new cards can be inserted in the pocket 10 when the old ones are worn out and discarded.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described one particular form of construction, but I desire to have it understood that' this construction is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims 1. In a telephone card index, a series of cards, a lug formed on each of said cards at the bottom thereof and the edge opposite the A edge carrying said lug being smooth, a pocket for removably and slidably holding said cards collectively to the transmitter of a telephone and a shoulder on one side of the opening of the pocket from which said cards project for engaging said lug formed on said cards, one side of said pocket engaging the smooth side of said cards to hold cards, a pocket for slidably and removably holding said cards and to conceal the same, engaging means formed on said cards for lifting said cards in said pocket, a straight vertical side being formed on one side of each of said cards, a projecting lug formed on the bottom of the opposite vertical edge .of each of said cards, and a stop fixed at the mouth of said pocket to limit the vertical movement of said cards, said'straight edge of said cards engaging against the vertical side adjacent the edges of said cards when said cards are in said pocket to hold said cards against horizontal or rotary movement while in said pocket and to hold the edge carrying said lug of said cards against said shoulder at the mouth of said pocket, said cards being rotatable in a direction toward said shoulder when raised vertically and said shoulder is engaging said lug to allow the removal of said cards. 7

3. In a device of the class described, a fiat thin pocket for holding a series of cards, a projecting portion formed on said pocket, a circular opening formed in said projecting portion, an embossed engaging ring formed on said projecting portion \vlnch is adapted to engage against the surface of a telephone transmitter when the mouth piece of said transmitter engages in said opening to rigidly hold said pocket to said transmitter and a series of cards removably held in said pocket.

4. In a device of the class described, a series of cards having straight vertical edges on either side, a lu'g projecting from the lower corner of each of said cards from one of said vertical edges, a pocket for holding said cards to the mouth piece of a telephone transmitter and a shoulder on one side ofthe mouth of said pocket, one of the vertical edges of each card engaging against the smooth vertical edge of one side of said pocket to cause the other vertical edge of each of said cards to engage against said shoulder at the mouth of the pocket, whereby said cards are held against rotary or longitudinal movement but freely movable vertically to a point of engagement of said lug with said shoulder, whereupon said cards can be removed by a rotary motion from the mouth of said pocket.

5. In a telephone card index, a pocket for removably holding a series of cards, a series of cards freely slidable vertically in said pocket, and having straight edges formed on either end thereof, a lug projecting from the lower corner of one of the straight edges of each of said cards, a shoulder formed on one side of the mouth of said pocket, the straight vertical edges ofone sideof said cards engaging the inner smooth surface of the vertical side of said pocket, said lugs projecting from the other side of said cards engaging the opposite vertical side of said pocket, while the vertical edges carrying said lugs of said cards engage against the shoulder formed in the mouth of saidpocket, whereby said cards are held freely movable vertically but against horizontal or rotary movement while in said pocket and are removable'from said pocket when said lugs engage against said shoulder, by a rotary movement with said/shoulder and lug as an axis for the rotary movement of said cards.

6. In a device of the classdescribed, the combination of a case formed of thin sheet material comprising, a fiat back portion, and a pocket portion rigidly secured to said back portion, a series of index cards slidably and removably held in said pocket, a telephone transmitter engaging means formed integral with said back portion and projecting from one side thereof and an embossed ring formed in said projecting portion to form a spring engaging means between the trans mitter and mouth-piece to rigidly hold said device to said transmitter substantially as described:

FRANK J. KRISTOFEK. 

